Type O Negative - October Rust

I've been blogging about metal for more than one and a half years now and still, there are so many iconic bands I just haven't gotten around to write about yet. One of them sure is Type O Negative.

To be honest, I don't know why it took me so long to get into their music. They were huge during my youth. I guess there was only room for one charismatic frontman in my heart during those years and it wasn't Peter Steele. Well, better late than never, this week I totally binged on October Rust, Type O Negative's fourth studio album from 1996.

Type O Negative was formed in 1989 by Peter Steele (vocals, bass), Sal Abruscato (drums), Josh Silver (keyboards) and Kenny Hickey (vocals, guitar), all childhood friends from Brooklyn. They had initially called themselves Repulsion, renamed themselves to Sub-Zero and finally settled on Type O Negative. In 1991 the band released their debut album Slow, Deep and Hard, which was musically still very different from their later ones. Their third album Bloody Kisses (1993) was certified Platinum and made Type O Negative to one of the most influential band of gothic metal. Until Peter Steele's untimely death in 2010 the band had released 7 studio albums. Their last album Dead Again (2007) debuted at number 27 in the US and was their hightest chart debut, although record sales never came close to Bloody Kisses.

October Rust was certified Gold and is the band's second bestselling album after Bloody Kisses. What do I like about it? Hard to describe really. It is one of those albums best heard in one session. Press play, sit down, stare out into misty weather, light some candles, generous amounts of red wine and the music makes for a perfect companion. The magic of October Rust lies in ambience. Josh Silver's keyboard melodies, Peter's so unique, heavily distorted baritone crooning, strong baselines and piercing guitars deliver a series of melancholy, romantic, dark songs that let you get lost. The lyrics deal with death and dying and autumn and of course sex (it's Peter Steele after all) and they could well be cheesy, but Type O Negative managed to stay authentic here. It is hard to pick favourite tracks, like I said, the album works best if you listen to all songs in a row. They blend into each other, sometimes very abruptly and without pause. There is no song I really dislike, not even the cover version of Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl, which many list as their least favourite track.

If I had to choose, I'd pick My Girlfriend's Girlfriend which comes along nearly pop-ish without loosing the gothic touch and is just plain fun to listen to. One of the best keyboard intros ever. And then of course, there is Love You To Death, the epitome of any gothic song with the beautiful piano intro and Peter's voice at its best. Green Man is another favourite of mine. This is Peter's song. His nickname "The Green Man" came from his days working as a park supervisor in NYC, wearing a green jumpsuit. 

Die With Me starts with an acoustic guitar and Peter's voice is much more tender and lighter on here. Burnt Flowers Fallen is very repetitive but it doesn't matter, because it does exactly what it is supposed to do - it gets you in the zone. And finally I would add In Praise of Bacchus to the long list of favourite tracks, showcasing dark and personal lyrics dealing with alcohol abuse and bad relationships. 

The other tracks are not far behind and I can easily put this album on my list of all time favourites. Listen and repeat. For me it is nearly perfect and I can only recommend you go and listen to it now 🖤🤘.